Indefinite Leave to Remain: Evidence and Documents

To apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK, you must prove your identity, your qualifying residence, and your eligibility for the specific route you are applying under. The exact evidence depends on whether you are applying after 5 years on a UK Ancestry visa, as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection, or as a returning resident after a long absence. The application is made online, and you must provide biometric information and supporting documents at an appointment. You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.

What indefinite leave to remain is

Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It is also called ‘settlement’. It gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as you like, and to apply for benefits if you are eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.

If your application is approved, you can work, run a business, study, use public services such as healthcare and schools, and apply for public funds (benefits) and pensions. You can usually apply for British citizenship after a minimum of 12 months.

Eligibility evidence by route

The evidence you need to provide depends on which route you are applying under. The table below summarises the core eligibility requirements for the three routes covered by the official guidance.

Route	Qualifying period	Key eligibility evidence
UK Ancestry visa	5 continuous years in the UK on an Ancestry visa	Enough money to support yourself and dependants; ability and intention to work; still a Commonwealth citizen
Protection status (refugee or humanitarian protection), discretionary leave, or section 67 leave	Varies; check eligibility	Proof of your current permission to stay; family members may be included if eligible
Returning Resident	Varies by previous status and length of absence	Strong ties to the UK; current circumstances and reasons for living outside the UK

UK Ancestry visa route

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain if you have spent 5 continuous years in the UK on a UK Ancestry visa. In most cases you must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 month period. If you think you are affected by this rule, you should find out how to calculate your time in the UK (‘continuous residence’).

You must also prove you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants, that you can and plan to work in the UK, and that you are still a Commonwealth citizen. If you are 18 to 64, you will also need to meet the English language requirements and book and pass the Life in the UK Test.

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you have been in the UK for 5 years on your Ancestry visa. Your application may be refused if you apply earlier. Do not wait until your current visa expires; if your visa expires before you can apply for indefinite leave to remain, you will need to renew it first.

Protection status, discretionary leave, or section 67 leave

You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you have protection status (permission to stay as a refugee or person with humanitarian protection), discretionary leave, or section 67 leave. Your family members may also be able to apply.

If you have section 67 leave, you can only include your child in your application. If you want other family members to join you in the UK, you will need to apply for a family visa. If your partner and children are already in the UK as your dependant, they can apply to stay with you if they are eligible. This includes children born in the UK. If your application is successful, your family members will usually have permission to stay in the UK for the same length of time as you.

If your partner and children are outside the UK, they may be able to apply to be reunited with you. They must first apply for a visa to join you in the UK. This also applies if they are not eligible to apply as your partner or child.

If you care for an adult relative, your adult dependent relative can apply if they are over 18, have a family visa as an adult dependent relative, and you have protection status. They must apply separately — you cannot include them on your application. You should make your applications at the same time, because your adult dependent relative’s visa will expire if you are granted indefinite leave to remain.

Returning Resident route

If you were previously settled in the UK and have been away for more than 2 continuous years, you lose your indefinite leave to remain and may need to apply for a Returning Resident visa to come back and live permanently. You lose your indefinite leave to remain if you have been outside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for more than 2 continuous years for anyone else, 4 continuous years if you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and are a Swiss citizen or their family member, or 5 continuous years if you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (unless you are a Swiss citizen or their family member).

You must provide enough evidence to show your strong ties to the UK — for example that you or your family have lived here most of your life — and your current circumstances and why you have lived outside the UK. Your dependants (partner and children) need to apply separately for a Returning Resident visa if they are eligible.

Documents you will need

The documents you need depend on your route. For a Returning Resident visa, you will need to provide a current passport or other valid travel identification, previous passports, a passport-sized colour photograph, and documents that prove you have ties to the UK — for example proof you have earned income, or rented or owned property, in the UK. You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

For most routes, you will also need to provide your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo). You will be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information, or you may be told to use the ‘UK Immigration ID Check’ app. Any children aged 6 or over must provide biometric information if you are applying for them on your form.

You will also need to submit your supporting documents. You can upload them into the online service or have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment.

Fees and processing times

Fees vary by route. For a UK Ancestry visa application, it costs £3,226 for each person applying. For discretionary leave, it also costs £3,226 for you and each other person you include in your application. There is no fee if you have protection status or section 67 leave, and this also applies to your partner or child. A Returning Resident visa costs £726 to apply.

Processing times also vary. For a UK Ancestry visa application, you will usually get a decision within 6 months if you apply using the standard service. You can pay an extra £1,000 to use the super priority service to get a decision by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday, or 2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend. Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

For protection status, discretionary leave, or section 67 leave, you will be told whether your application has been successful within 6 months of when you either submit your application (if you are told to use the ‘UK Immigration ID Check’ app) or have your fingerprints and photo taken (if you are told to go to a UKVCAS service point). If you have discretionary leave and you paid to use the ‘super priority service’, you will get a decision within 2 working days. You cannot use the ‘super priority service’ if you have protection status or section 67 leave.

For a Returning Resident visa, check the visa processing times to find out how long it might take. You may be able to get your visa faster depending on what country you are in — check with your visa application centre.

Family members and dependants

If you are applying under the UK Ancestry visa route, your partner and children can apply for indefinite leave to remain as your ‘dependants’ if they are eligible. A dependant is your partner, your child under 18, or your child aged 18 or over who was previously on your or your partner’s visa as a dependant. You will need to provide evidence of your relationship when you apply.

Your partner must book and pass the Life in the UK test and meet the English language requirements. You must also be able to prove one of the following: you are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK; you have been living together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply; or you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply and you cannot live together — for example because it is illegal in your country. If you are not living together, you will need to prove that you have an ongoing commitment to each other, for example by providing evidence that you communicate regularly, support each other financially, care for any children you have together, and spend time together as a couple.

Your child must live with you (unless they are in full-time education at boarding school, college or university), not be married, in a civil partnership or have any children, and be supported by you without using public funds. You can only include children aged 18 and over in your application if they are currently a dependant on your or your partner’s visa, they were under 18 when they got permission to be in the UK as your dependant, and they still do not live an independent life. They must also book and pass the Life in the UK test and meet the English language requirements.

Your dependants cannot apply for indefinite leave to remain if they are currently in the UK on a visitor visa, a Short-term study visa, a Parent of a Child Student visa, a Seasonal Worker visa, a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa, on immigration bail, or because they were given permission to stay outside the immigration rules. If your family member is in one of these categories, they must leave the UK and apply for a UK Ancestry visa as a dependant instead.

If you already have indefinite leave to remain or are now a British citizen, your partner and children can apply for indefinite leave to remain as long as your last visa was a UK Ancestry visa and they are already in the UK. Otherwise, they will need to apply for indefinite leave to remain a different way.

Travel restrictions during and after application

You must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision on your application. Your application will be withdrawn if you do. This applies to all the routes covered here.

If your application is approved and you later travel outside the UK, you can lose your indefinite leave to remain if you travel back to the country you sought asylum from, or if you stay outside the UK for more than 2 years. If you have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, the limit is 5 continuous years (or 4 continuous years if you are a Swiss citizen or their family member). If you stay outside the UK for longer than the limit, you may need to apply for a Returning Resident visa before you can return.

You can travel outside the UK using a Home Office travel document if you have protection status.

What to do next

Before you apply, confirm which route you are eligible for and gather the specific evidence that route requires. Check the official GOV.UK page for your route to verify the current fee, the exact documents required, and the processing time, as these can change. Apply online and do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you receive a decision.